Batman fans rejoice, because one of the most enduring villains in Gotham City is set to get the origins treatment.
Following in the footsteps – or should that be "flippersteps"? – of other DC Comics favourites such as the Joker and Harley Quinn, who have both been the subjects of deep dives into their histories, the Penguin aka Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot is the latest supervillain to have his backstory explored.
Streaming platform HBO Max is putting together the show. Described by entertainment news website Deadline as a “Scarface-like series about the rise of the Penguin character”, it will be a spin-off from the highly anticipated Batman film staring Robert Pattinson, The Batman, which is slated for release in March 2022.
Colin Farrell, who takes on the role of Cobblepot in the film, is expected to star in the series.
The Penguin first appeared in the comics in December 1941. From a wealthy background, he considers himself a “gentleman of crime” and originally wore a monocle, top hat and tuxedo, while carrying an umbrella.
With 2021 marking 80 years of the Penguin, we take a look at the actors who have portrayed the villain, and some of the comic book lore, which has made him one of Batman’s most feared and enduring enemies.
Who is the Penguin?
A member of Batman’s Rogues Gallery, the Penguin sits alongside the likes of Bane, Catwoman, Poison Ivy and the Riddler as one of the crime-fighter’s most famous nemeses.
Making his first appearance in Detective Comics No 58, Penguin is the owner of Gotham City nightclub The Iceberg Lounge, which acts as a cover for his criminal activities. The character was bullied as a child for being short and overweight, for his pigeon-toed way of walking and also for his beak-like nose. The omnipresent umbrella he carries was insisted upon by his mother, following his father's death from bronchial pneumonia after being caught in the rain without an umbrella.
Cobblepot’s wealthy parents owned a bird shop, which led to his interest in birds, and he later studied ornithology at university where his knowledge outstripped that of his professors. In the comic books, he turns to crime when his mother dies and the bird shop is repossessed to pay her debts.
Batman v Penguin
Being one of the few villains in Gotham who is sane and in control of his actions makes the Penguin a more thoughtful and calculating adversary than the Joker. Fans will note that in the 1992 graphic novel Penguin Triumphant, Batman admits that Penguin is smarter than him.
Starting out his criminal career as a thief, the Penguin crosses paths with Batman many times, more so when the Penguin becomes the head of his own crime family and his omnipresent umbrella starts to do double duty as a machine gun.
Some of the pair’s most famous entanglements include The Penguin Affair, in which the villain gains control of flocks of birds with the intention of using them to bring down a passenger plane – a plan ultimately foiled by the Caped Crusader. Another involves the Penguin, with the help of fellow villain the Mad Hatter, kidnapping Batman and brainwashing him to assassinate Black Mask. The supervillain also at one point becomes the Mayor of Gotham City and divides the territories up between the inmates of Arkham Asylum.
Penguins through the years
Sixteen actors in total have portrayed the Penguin, either starring on-screen as the villain or voicing animated versions of him. Until Farrell shows his acting chops as the legendary criminal, the most recent actor to portray the Penguin was Robin Lord Taylor, who took on the role in the TV series Gotham, and was described by the Wall Street Journal as “spectacularly cast as the Penguin”.
For fans of the classic 1960s TV show Batman, there is only one Penguin, and that’s Emmy-winning actor Burgess Meredith. He played the baddie on the small screen from 1966 to 1968, as well as in the 1966 film based on the show.
“We had great fun making it. Kids on the street would run after me going ‘Quack, quack, quack’,” he revealed during a 1989 interview with US radio station KRLA. He jokingly said: “This is a message to the Batman: The fact I didn’t get you before doesn’t mean I won’t get you this time.”
For many though, Danny DeVito’s turn as Penguin in 1992’s Batman Returns is the one that sticks in the mind.
“I had a ball doing that,” DeVito told WTF with Marc Maron podcast about playing the character. “I was in the make-up trailer for three hours. You’re behind that mask and you have all this padding ... I never had more fun.”
When it comes to passing the mantle to the next villain, from one Penguin to another, DeVito told ScreenRant movie news website of Farrell: “Colin’s a great actor. He’s a good friend of mine. I’ve known him for many years and I think he’s going to do a great job as the Penguin.”
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MATCH INFO
Northern Warriors 92-1 (10 ovs)
Russell 37 no, Billings 35 no
Team Abu Dhabi 93-4 (8.3 ovs)
Wright 48, Moeen 30, Green 2-22
Team Abu Dhabi win by six wickets
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The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
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- v South Africa, June 15
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Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
Scoreline
Liverpool 3
Mane (7'), Salah (69'), Firmino (90')
Bournemouth 0
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Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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Manchester City 1 Chelsea 0
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Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
